Gas escape closure cap



June 27, 1961 1.. J. GARVEY 2,990,079

' GAS ESCAPE CLOSURE CAP Filed Nov. 25, 1958 29 4 INVENTOR.

By 150 J- GAEVE).

ATTOIBIEX United States Patent 2,990,079 GAS ESCAPE CLOSURE CAP Leo J. Garvey, 3131 N. 7th Ave, Apt. 104, Phoenix, Ariz. Filed Nov. 25, 1958, Ser. No. 776,362 1 Claim. (Cl- 215-56) This invention pertains to gas escape closure caps for containers and is particularly directed to a plastic cap to allow excess gas pressure to escape from the container to which it is applied while at the same time retaining the liquid contents therein.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide an improved gas escape closure cap which automatically allows the escape of gaseous pressure but prevents the escape of liquid from the cap when applied to a container.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a plastic cap having a plastic membrane top portion of useable character such that gas may escape around the lip of the container opening but which prevents the escape of liquid thereby.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a particularly constructed screw closure cap having a yieldable top diaphragm portion engaging the lip of the bottle or container neck in such a manner that gas may escape by the lip of the bottle and out through the threaded portion of the closure cap but which arrangement prevents the escape of liquids from the container.

Further features and advantages of this invention will appear from a detailed description of the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation of a bottle container having the gas escape closure cap incorporating the features of this invention applied thereto.

FIG. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged section through the cap indicated by the line 3-3 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a section on the line 44 of FIG. 3.

As an example of one embodiment of this invention there is shown a container or bottle having a neck 11 on the upper end outside diameter portion of which are formed the threads 12 which extend upwardly and terminate at the lip 13 provided around the mouth 14 of the bottle 10.

A closure cap 15 is formed of an integral one-piece semi-plastic or yieldable material and comprises a cylindrical side portion or skirt 16 and the top portion 17 which takes the form of a flexible diaphragm 18 having an annular groove 19 formed in the under side 20 of the flexible diaphragm portion 18 of the cap, the annular groove engaging on top of the lip edge 13 of the neck 11 of the bottle 10. A thread 21 is formed in the bore 22 of the cap 15 and matingly engages the thread 12 on the bottle neck 11. A series of longitudinally extending parallel gas escape grooves 23 are formed through the threads 21 in the cap 15 and a final set of radially disposed parallel gas escape passageways 24 are formed in the bottom surface 20 of the diaphragm portion 18 adjacent the threads of the cap 15 and extend approximately halfway across the annular groove 19 (best seen in FIGURE 3). When the cap is screwed on to the bottle so that the annular groove 19 engages the lip 13 of the bottle neck 11, any gas pressure which may be created in the bottle or container 10 raises the diaphragm portion 18 of the semiflexible cap 15 upwardly to allow the escape of the excess gas pressure between the lip 13 and the annular groove 19. The escaping gas then passes through the passageways 24 and down through the passageways 23 through the threads 21 of the cap 15 out to atmosphere discharge. The flexibility of the diaphragm 18 together with the capillary labyrinth action of the passageways 24 and 23 only allows the escape of gas pressure as recited but the moment liquid Patented June 27, 1961 would be entrained between the surfaces 1913 or in the passageways 24-23 the liquid would be of such viscosity as to prevent the drainage thereof from the bottle. It is obvious that by having the passageways or channels 24 extending approximately halfway across the annular groove 19, gas pressure that builds up in the container 10 will cause the diaphragm 18 to flex out in reference to the container 10, thereby permitting escape of the gas pressure between the lip 13 and the annular groove 19, through the passageways or channels 24 and 23 to the outside of the container 10.

The closure cap 15 may be used without the use of thread 21. In this situation only the annular groove 19 and the channels 24 are needed on the inside of the closure cap 15.

Normally, with the bottle set in upright position it would properly permit the escape of gas but the flexibility of the diaphragm would be such as to prevent liquid getting through the infinitely small passageway between the surfaces 13--19. Also should such a bottle be tipped over or lying on its side with the liquid up in the closure area, that liquid would not seep or drip out of the bottle even though excessive pressure might be accidentally built up under these conditions.

While the apparatus herein disclosed and described constitutes a preferred form of the invention, it is also to be understood that the apparatus is capable of mechanical alteration without departing from the spirit of the invention and that such mechanical arrangement and commercial adaptation as fall within the scope of the appendent claim are intended to be included herein.

Having thus fully set forth and described this invention what is claimed and desired to be obtained by United States Letters Patent is:

An integral one-piece gas escape closure cap of yieldable plastic material for a container having a material storage portion, a neck portion, threads on the neck portion, and the top of the neck forming a mouth including a lip; said closure cap having a flexible top diaphragm portion and a skirt, threads on said skirt for engaging the threads on said cap, said top diaphragm portion having an annular groove formed on the bottom surface thereof and positioned to matingly engage with the lip when the closure cap is positioned on the neck of the container to form a seal between said annular groove and the lip, said annular groove having a plurality of parallel transverse gas escape channels, said channels starting at the outer marginal edge of said groove and extending radially inward thereof and approximately halfway across said annular groove, and a plurality of parallel gas escape channels transversing the threads of said skirt and in line with said gas escape channels in said annular groove and opening to the atmosphere, whereby upon pressure buildup in the container the top diaphragm portion flexes up breaking the seal between that portion of the annular groove beyond the channels in said annular groove and the lip thereby opening said channels in said annular groove to the interior of the container to permit gas to escape through said channels in said annular groove and said skirt into the atmosphere.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,138,376 Griswold Nov. 29, 1938 2,423,295 Crabbe et a1 July 1, 1947 2,576,917 Benner Dec. 4, 1951 2,772,013 Stover Nov. 27, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS $44,271 Great Britain Apr. 3, 1942 

